Theobromine is a bitter compound found in high amounts in cocoa beans (and hence chocolate) and in much lower amounts in tea, yerba mate, guarana and guayusa. Its name comes from the botanical name for the cocoa bean, Theobroma cacao. Theobromine can be thought of as being a weaker cousin to caffeine, influencing similar processes involved in motivation, attention and pleasure but not quite as strongly.*

Among the most common nootropics, there are many compounds approved as dietary supplements and classified as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Many are herbal extracts that have been used in traditional medicines for centuries. And many are extracts of plants that are commonly consumed as food and that therefore tend to be regarded as safe. You can learn more about supporting the brain’s nighttime physiology in our article about the science behind Qualia Night. Taking Advantage of Ingredient Synergy When you look at Qualia Mind, it shows slightly more effectiveness for short-term energy production alongside improving memory performance than Mind Lab Pro, which is more focused on the memory aspect and long-term positive effects on brain performance. While very comprehensive in its own right, Mind Lab Pro does have a more manageable formulation than its competitor supplement. This actually favors its carefully selected contents, for you only get what you need and nothing else. And this is another mechanism through which nootropics help to support and enhance cognitive function: by supporting the brain’s ability to control the levels and eliminate the excess of ROS and other damaging molecules and protect itself from their effects. Supporting Nighttime PhysiologyWe included phosphatidylserine in Qualia Mind, because it’s one of the major membrane phospholipids in the brain, where it supports the healthy function of nerve and brain cells, especially in areas related to memory functions and neuroplasticity.* We use a sunflower lecithin source rather than soy. The sunflower lecithin also contains other dietary phospholipids including phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidic acid, which are used by neurons for structure, growth, repair and signaling functions.* Coffeeberry® is an organic coffee fruit extract standardized for caffeine and naturally-occurring coffee polyphenols. It’s included in Qualia Mind to support alertness, energy, processing speed, reaction times, and motivation.* While caffeine has received a great deal of well-deserved research attention as a nootropic, coffee polyphenols also support healthy brain function by acting as antioxidants and being neuroprotective.* We used a coffee fruit extract in Qualia Mind because both caffeine and coffee fruit polyphenols were important to us. We included theobromine to complement the caffeine supplied by Coffeeberry®. We chose a dose of 100 mg for a few reasons. First, it is well within the range of theobromine consumed in a small serving of chocolate—a 2 ounce serving of milk chocolate contains approximately 120 mg of theobromine, while the same amount of dark chocolate contains about 400 mg. We also do not think of theobromine as being a “more is better” ingredient when it comes to it being a nootropic. A modest amount is used to complement the other ingredients in Qualia Mind. The body can make some taurine but the rest of the brain’s and body’s needs must be supplied from what we consume in the diet and supplements. The upper end of taurine consumed in the subgroup of people with highest dietary intakes is 500 mg a day. The nootropic range is generally considered to be 500-2000 mg a day. We opted for a dose of 500 mg since it overlaps with both what a diet high in taurine can supply and the nootropic range.

Methylcobalamin is a member of the B-complex family of vitamins and is the coenzyme or active form of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin for supporting the health and function of neurons, brain volume, mood and memory. And, like other members of the B-complex family, it plays a role in converting fats and sugars into energy.* Vitamin B12 is included in Qualia Mind because, in addition to being essential for the healthy function of brain and nerve cells, it’s an important vitamin for energy, mood, and memory.* Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid or ascorbate, is a vitamin naturally found in a wide variety of fruit and vegetables. Vitamin C is an antioxidant vitamin that supports brain antioxidant defenses, neuroprotective functions, and the production of dopamine neurotransmitter molecules.* We included it in Qualia Mind to support these functions. In this article, we’ll see how nootropics work and we’ll try to answer some of the most common questions we get asked about nootropics. A Brief History of Nootropics

What Does Qualia Cost and Is it Worth It?

Cereboost™ American Ginseng Root Extract: A ginseng root extract standardized for ginsenoside content. Ginsenosides are thought to be responsible for many of the adaptogenic (i.e., stress and fatigue support) and health-promoting properties associated with ginseng. Cereboost™ is known to enhance attention accuracy, working memory, and secondary memory. Mind Lab Pro focuses on cognitive function in its entirety. Its all-inclusive formula compresses all the benefits of cognitive function, performance, productivity, neurogenesis, and long-term mental well-being. Another very important key to the optimization of brain performance is neuroprotection—the protection of the structure and function of the nervous system.

We fully publish all the research behind every product. Read our Whitepaper about the Science and Research behind Qualia Mind. Wild Blueberry Fruit Extract: Wild blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium) are native to North American and are both smaller and have more intense color than cultivated blueberries. They also have higher anthocyanin and polyphenols content, which are the phytochemical compounds that are thought to be largely responsible for why blueberries support cognitive function, vision and brain health.*

A Few Notable Studies

The cumulative effect of these nutrients makes it one of the most comprehensive nootropics in the market and yields both short and long-term benefits. Working Mechanism As we’ve seen, to qualify as a nootropic, a compound must be able to influence brain function. So, in theory, a compound should only be called a nootropic if it really does work. But, it can be difficult to determine what is a nootropic and what is not. This leads us to another question: what type of evidence do we need to classify a compound as a nootropic?

D. Tranel, G. Cooper, R.L. Rodnitzky, in: P.M. Conn (Ed.), Neuroscience in Medicine, Humana Press, Totowa, NJ, 2003, pp. 621–639.

Cognition relies on the proper function of an intricate network of neurons communicating through synapses and using neurotransmitters as messengers, assisted by glial cells that structurally and functionally support and protect them, and fueled by a steady blood supply of oxygen and nutrients that sustain their high energy demand. Neurotransmitters are constantly being produced by the brain, either from scratch (the technical term is de novo synthesis) or by recycling neurotransmitter molecules that have been used in neurotransmission and inactivated through metabolization to other compounds. These processes involve the activity of a number of enzymes, enzyme cofactors, precursors, and membrane transporters, for example. Other nootropic components like lion’s mane mushroom stimulate nerve growth factor, offering neuroprotection. In contrast, other ingredients like bacopa contain active compounds that cross the blood-brain barrier and boost neurotransmitters there. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. References